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Absolutely loved getting a laugher, we're back to .500, we got a nice revenge game coming Monday that we now have some improved play and confidence heading into where we should get to 5-4, then a big division game coming up against Philly to test us against a playoff team. Loved getting garbage time for guys, nice to get some people even garbage minute experience and rest others that play big minutes. Stoudemire looked very aggressive as did Chandler, Shumpert definitely looks like the real deal, Bibby again very solid and hit shots, Harrellson very solid off bench, Carmelo successful without scoring a huge amount (I mention because we need to be able to win without needing 30 out of Carmelo all the time), looked good on both ends. I realize some was good offense and defense, some was Detroit not being great, but we are looking improved, and seeing them have fun together helps the team too. Still not a big Dantoni fan so I hate to admit it's helping him out of the fire, but ultimately I want us to win, so I'm glad to see improvements, and hopefully a mini win streak helps us build confidence ahead of some tougher games to come.

I say we move Shump to the 2 and Let Baron take the point. I dunno though, I like Shump at point.

Either way, the good news is that come playoff time (we hope) the starting 5 might look pretty fearsome:

Davis
Shumpert
Carmelo
Stoudemire
Chandler

Fields-Walker-Douglas off the bench leaves something to be desired, but each potentially could fill-out nicely. After all, the have value as bench players (not starters).

Douglas could be a scoring spark off the bench. If he's hot, then all is good. If not, back to the bench. Let's hope he gets his act together where he can be that option.

Fields still has time to get things back together. he just needs his confidence back, and to figure out where to fit in with Carmelo-Chandler-Shumpert & whatnot. Hit some 3s & rebound.

Walker is what he is, and he can bring energy & seems to be more consitent than the other 2 bench guards. Hit some 3s and play some defense.

All in all, in the playoffs... We would only need (prob. require) that only 1 of these 3 be "on" any given night. That "hot" player would be the 6th man the aforementioned starting 5 would need, to help compliment them.

ASIDE FROM THAT, It's beginning to look like the joke is really on us: Josh Harrellson is a good NBA bench player. He's big & strong, he works hard, has decent hands & can hit shots. He's a legit role (rotation) player.

We have the starting 5 come playoffs, we have 3 bench guards to roll through early in games to see what 1 will give us something in the 2nd half of games... And we have a BIG to add to that.

That gives us 7 players in the D'ant rotation.

Toss in Jared Jeffries when he returns. And/or Balkman. Another hustle guy to play some defense & rebound.

I also believe we'll add a Kenyon Martin type BIG come March (or trade for a guy).

Then there's Bibby, who'll be the backup PG.

So, to recap: The best case scenario in the playoffs for D'ant:

Davis-Shump-Melo-STAT-TC start and finish games. We hope no foul trouble.

Then we have Bibby to run out to spell Davis, and hit some 3s. We have a few options to search for a spark plug off the bench at SG.

Josh will bang around, along with JJ & a player to be named later.

D'ant will have 8-9 players to roll around out there & look for something. We have enough role players this year, that Melo-STAT should be able to get along fine.

There should be a deep run this year. Win 1st round, and at least get to a game 6 or 7 in the 2nd round, if not East Conf Finals.

Absolutely loved getting a laugher, we're back to .500, we got a nice revenge game coming Monday that we now have some improved play and confidence heading into where we should get to 5-4, then a big division game coming up against Philly to test us against a playoff team. Loved getting garbage time for guys, nice to get some people even garbage minute experience and rest others that play big minutes. Stoudemire looked very aggressive as did Chandler, Shumpert definitely looks like the real deal, Bibby again very solid and hit shots, Harrellson very solid off bench, Carmelo successful without scoring a huge amount (I mention because we need to be able to win without needing 30 out of Carmelo all the time), looked good on both ends. I realize some was good offense and defense, some was Detroit not being great, but we are looking improved, and seeing them have fun together helps the team too. Still not a big Dantoni fan so I hate to admit it's helping him out of the fire, but ultimately I want us to win, so I'm glad to see improvements, and hopefully a mini win streak helps us build confidence ahead of some tougher games to come.

Word, we should give him a 5 year extension ASAP, all that work over the offseason with Shumpert and Harrelson really made them legit, oh crap wait he wasn't able to work with them, so they just did their own work, so we shouldn't extend... ahh Fire Dantoni!!!

Yeah I agree, especially games we are doing ok in, I'd like to find Jordan a solid 8 minutes, helps him develop and gets TC a little rest. Don't expect 15-20 or anything but he's shown a bit in preseason and limited time, and there are games where size is more useful too (prob Charlotte...) that he could be used. In a tight game against a team with quick athletic bigs like maybe a LA Clippers I could see him getting splinters, but there are plenty of games he should get at least 5 minutes and that doesn't mean him getting 5 minutes in garbage time tonight

Heck yea man! Another thing is you can tell that D'Antoni was coaching for his job tonight. We actually ran plays on O and D. We had tons of off-ball movement and we crashed the boards and played stand up D (minus Fields).

I agree with everything you said in your post. I think if we get a player like K-Mart and Antoni continues to coach like his job depends on it we might have a shot this season!

This is how the Knicks should dominate. Good job to everybody even D'antoni not perfect but it shows improvement. Especially when he got pissed that even when the Knicks started to falter when they were up by 20 in the third. Coach for your job every night Mike.

Toney Douglas, as much as he appears to be a decent person, doesn't belong in this league. PERIOD! The guy cannot play, the PG version of Kwame Brown.

Insert a decent PG in Shumpert and all of a sudden we look like a basketball team, even Stoudemire came alive on offense.

Gotta give the guys credit, last night was a top performance, scoring over 100 while keeping the opposition at 80.

Having said that, there were still a few things I didn't like. At one point Melo was really holding the ball up and taking bad shots, Stoudemire still commited too many turnovers and Landry Fields can't guard most SGs in the league...oh and Toney Douglas should really be our 3rd and 4th string PG (when Davis returns).

No way he should even get one minute in a competitive game, garbage time is all he should get, the same goes for Walker.